A looming strike in an ongoing labor dispute with the International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) and various employers from Maine to Texas could have dire impacts on cruise travel.
While a new Master Contract Agreement is being negotiated, sticking points with wages as compared to profits from the companies that employ union members may lead to the strike at 12:01 a.m. on Tuesday, October 1, 2024.
With high inflation making every employee’s wages seem less profitable than in years past, and many cruise lines and other companies now having recovered from pandemic losses, it seems a good time for such a wage increase negotiation.
“Inflation has completely eaten into any raises and wages. Everything is more expensive, even compared to six-years ago,” said the ILA. “Our members are struggling to pay their mortgages and rent, car payments, groceries, utility bills, taxes, and in some cases, their children’s education.”
Unfortunately, the United States Maritime Alliance (USMX) – representing the employers of the union members – is being accused of propaganda to discredit longshoremen and their demands. Leaked details of confidential talks over the past two years, as well as ill preparation for negotiations, make USMX seem less than willing to agree to wage increases.
“A sleeping giant is ready to roar on Tuesday, October 1, 2024, if a new Master Contract Agreement is not in place,” said ILA President Harold J. Daggett. “My members have been preparing for over a year for that possibility of a strike.”
If that strike moves forward, top US cruise ship homeports could be heavily impacted, including Boston, New York, Baltimore, Miami, Tampa, Mobile, and New Orleans.
At cruise ports, longshoremen are responsible for moving supplies on and off ships, as well as checking supply manifests to ensure vessels have the materials they need. This must be done within just a few hours as cruise ships are docked and passengers disembark from one sailing and embark for another.
If longshoremen do strike, ships may be unable to properly resupply and port and docking schedules could be dramatically impacted. This could lead to departure delays with itinerary changes as a knock-on effect, or even cancelled sailings if a strike were to become extended.
It is possible that even if a full new contract is not agreed upon by the end of September, a more limited agreement may be reached to keep workers servicing cruise ships while cargo vessels are unattended. This could still create delays for cruise ships, but may not be as noticeable.
It should be noted that longshoremen are not porters who handle guests’ individual bags at the cruise terminal, but they may be part of the workforce that loads stacked pallets of luggage onto cruise ships.
What Are the Union Demands?
Small annual wage increases, lack of salary work contracts, and loss of other income streams when compared to record profits have led to the call for higher wages.
In addition to higher wages, the ILA is seeking additional protections against automation that could dissolve union members’ jobs and put hundreds of longshoremen out of work in the long term.
“The companies that employ ILA pay their executives billion-dollar bonus while our longshore workers work all year, around the clock, in brutal conditions of freezing cold and scorching heat. Why shouldn’t we ask for a $10 an hour increase?” Daggett said. “The ILA longshore worker deserves it, and the companies have the money to pay it.”
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It should be noted that typical raises for longshoremen over the years have often been $1 per hour or less, and in some years, no raises at all.
Individual ports are preparing for the potential work stoppage in different ways, including extending their operational hours for cargo to be collected while work continues.
At this time, there are no confirmed impacts to any cruise ship schedules, but such impacts may yet be forthcoming depending on whether or not a strike moves forward and if any limited agreement is reached beforehand.
